Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Dec 12

                                
 PRAGUE, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Friday.
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)
======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 November producer prices and October foreign trade prices,
                                
 industrial and construction data at 0800 GMT.
                                
 October current account balance data at 0900 GMT.
                                
 Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
                                
 Previous stories on Czech data.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
====================== TOP NEWS ================================
                                
 ERSTE: Erste Group Bank <ERST.VI> expects 2009 operating
profit to rise by around 10 percent, driven by cost savings, it
said in a statement on Friday ahead of its Capital Markets day
for analysts and fund managers.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLB441860]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RESF]
                                
 
                                
 SKODA CUTS WORK: Volkswagen's <VOWG.DE> Czech unit Skoda
Auto will halt work on Fridays in the first half of 2009 due to
the lasting financial crisis, Czech news agency CTK reported,
citing a spokesman. 
                                
 Story: [ID:nLR494016]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AUT]
                                
 
                                
 RATE MEETING: Czech central bank board member
Pavel Rezabek will miss the December 17 monetary policy meeting,
the bank said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLB31256]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
 BUDGET GAP: Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said on
Thursday it was realistic that the 2009 central state budget gap
could range between 50 billion ($2.54 billion) and 60 billion
crowns, well over official plan.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLB471146] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-GVD]
========================IN OTHER NEWS==========================
                                
 KOMERCNI: ING cuts Komercni Banka <BKOMsp.PR> price target
to 3,300 crowns from 4,000 crowns, keeps 'hold' rating.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RCH]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 0,000.0  0,847.6   +0.00       -100.00
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.840   25.825   -0.06         +2.55
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  19.403   19.498   +0.48         -6.36
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  08,565   08,761   -2.24        -35.43
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
====================== PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 GOVT LOSES DEPUTY: The minority Czech government has lost
support of yet another deputy after the opposition defector
Michal Pohanka that had backed it in key votes, gave up his
parliamentary seat.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 
                                
 For Instant Views of key economic data click on
                                
 [CZ/INSTANT]
 For summary of economic data and forecasts          <CZ/ECON01>
 For diary of forthcoming Czech events                [CZ/DIARY]
For calendar of east European economic indicators  [CONV/DIARY]
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG]
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST]

 For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
 States and other Group of Seven countries see         <G7TODAY>

 For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets:
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX <.PX>

                                
 News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)